Mystery Solved: 5 Ways to Keep a Cut Avocado Fresh

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No matter what your cooking skills are, chances are you’ve struggled with what to do with an avocado after you’ve cut it open. The dreaded browning process starts almost immediately, and if you’re not careful, you might end up wasting half of the avo if you don’t preserve it properly.

There are lots of different tips for how to best store your avocado after you cut it open. But I uncovered the five most popular (and most successful!) methods for keeping your avocados looking fresh and green. Now, get your guac on!

Lemon Juice + Plastic Wrap

Using lemon juice is a popular method for preserving an avocado. But I found that the lemon juice and plastic wrap method is the best combination to really keep things green. Brush your cut avocado with lemon juice (or squeeze some right on), wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap, then store it in the refrigerator for several hours.

Air-Tight Container + Onion

This is an unusual method that many people swear by once they give it a try. Take your cut avocado and place it in an air-tight container with some cut-up onion. You can then refrigerate the avocado and it should stay fresh for a few days.

This method also works great with guacamole. Try cutting up some onion, placing it on top of the guacamole, then putting it in an air-tight container in your fridge.

Olive Oil

For this method, you can either try brushing your avocado with olive oil and then wrapping it with plastic wrap. Or, pour some olive oil in a small dish and leave the cut avocado sitting face-down in the oil. Make sure not to choose a flavored olive oil if you want to maintain the standard taste of the avocado.

Water Bath

This is a favorite method that chefs often use to stop their avocados from browning. Using an air-tight container, pour in a small amount of water and add the halved avocado face-down. Seal up the container, then put it in the refrigerator. This should also keep your avocado fresh for several days.

The one downside to this method is that it can make the outer flesh of the avocado a little slimey.

Leave In the Pit

No matter which method above you choose to try, the key to success when saving half of an avocado is to leave in the pit. Whenever possible, leaving the avocado pit will ensure that your avo stays fresher (and greener!) longer than it would without the pit.